Pass & Aufenthaltstitel: Documents for Your Child

For children of parents without German citizenship. A two-stage process: first a national passport via the consulate, then a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) via the Ausländerbehörde.

✓ Verified: 15/08/2026

WHAT TO DO

Contact your home country's consulate: add the child to a parent's passport or apply for a separate children's passport

Obtain a Bescheinigung über den Geburtseintrag from the Standesamt — required by the Ausländerbehörde
Apply for the child's Aufenthaltstitel at the Ausländerbehörde — book online early, waiting times 2–6 months in major cities
If you cannot obtain a national passport: alternative is a Reiseausweis für Ausländer from the Ausländerbehörde

AUTHORITY

Ausländerbehörde (ABH)

Municipal authority

The Ausländerbehörde for your registered address is the one responsible. Enter your postcode and we will show yours.

Enter 5 digits — we show your local office

Where to go in your city →

What and when

If neither parent holds German citizenship, the child does not automatically become German (exception: if at least one parent has legally resided in Germany for 5+ years, the Geburtsortprinzip applies).

For everyone else: you need a national document (from the consulate) and a German residence permit (from the Ausländerbehörde).

Step A: National passport through the consulate

Contact your home country’s consulate. Typical documents required:

Geburtsurkunde (German birth certificate) + certified translation
Passports of both parents
Vaterschaftsanerkennungsurkunde (for unmarried couples)
Application form + photos

Options: add child to a parent’s passport (quick, temporary) or obtain a separate children’s passport.

Step B: Aufenthaltstitel through the Ausländerbehörde

Under § 33 AufenthG, the child has the same residence permit category as the parents from birth. Getting the physical card requires a visit to the ABH.

Appointment: book online via your city’s portal. In Berlin, Munich, Hamburg: waiting times of 2–6 months. Book immediately after birth.

Documents for the ABH:

Child’s Geburtsurkunde
Child’s national passport (after obtaining from the consulate)
Passports and residence permits of both parents
Bescheinigung über den Geburtseintrag (from Standesamt)
Biometric photo (special format for infants)

› Details and tips

👨🏻‍💻

Max recommends:

In Munich I booked the ABH appointment on the day the child was born — the available date was 4 months later. By then, the national passport was already ready. Parallel processes save time.

👩🏼‍💼

Lea recommends:

Biometric photo for a newborn is its own challenge: neutral background, eyes open. Some photography studios are experienced with babies. Or take the photo yourself following ABH guidelines — accepted too.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What type of residence permit does the child receive? ▾

A child born in Germany to foreign parents receives the same type of Aufenthaltstitel as the more privileged parent (§ 33 AufenthG). For example: if one parent holds a Niederlassungserlaubnis (permanent residence), the child also gets a Niederlassungserlaubnis.

Is there urgency in visiting the Ausländerbehörde? ▾

Legally, the child has the same residence rights as the parents from birth (§ 33 AufenthG). But for international travel and certain official processes, the physical card is required. Given long waiting times at ABH — book an appointment immediately after birth.

Our parents have different nationalities — which consulate? ▾

Either country's consulate. Choose the passport most useful for travel. If one parent is an EU citizen, the child may be entitled to EU citizenship — consult a lawyer.

What is the Reiseausweis für Ausländer? ▾

A German travel document for foreigners who cannot obtain a national passport. Issued by the Ausländerbehörde and recognised by most countries.